Eric Carter (right) thanks Malcolm Heathfield after the presentation.
At the last Technology Evening, Malcolm Heathfield of Adroit Technologies gave a well received presentation on the Internet of Things (IoT). IoT is a scenario in which objects, animals or people are provided with unique identifiers and the ability to transfer data over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction. Malcolm walked us through some scenarios of machine-machine interaction and the underlying enabling technologies.
Machine-to-machine (M2M) describes any technology that enables networked devices to exchange information and perform actions without the manual assistance of humans. Malcolm covered topics such as short range technologies, cloud computing, types of clouds, services choices, predicted Internet growth, M2M growth and enablers, challenges for cellular networks, M2M revenue opportunities, changing client expectations, challenges with BI for industry, partially cloud-based systems, entirely cloud-based systems, data transmission and scada hosting in the cloud.
The branch thank’s Malcolm for his valued and informative talk.
Site visit
During March, members were treated to a 2,5 km walking tour of BMW’s Rosslyn plant by knowledgeable 80 odd year old Jo Klut, who has been working at the plant for 18 years. Also joining us on the tour was a group of learners from The Mountain Cambridge School in Hartbeespoort.
The plant produces one 4-door 3-series BMW every 4 minutes, which means about 360 cars in 24 hours, with 90% of the 520 component parts arriving from the neighbouring steel plant about 3 hours before the build. The car’s body is assembled with minimum human intervention by 188 Kuka Robots, of which 8 do the measurements required to ensure the body alignment remains within an 0,2% tolerance. The body is designed in such a way that it can be configured as a right-hand or left-hand drive, so the only difference in the body assembly line is whether or not the car has a sunroof.
After the tour, the branch took the opportunity to shed some light on the control and instrumentation industry by talking to the students and answering their enthusiastic questions, filled with energy and expectation of what the future might hold for them.
SAIMC: From the office of the CEO: Is AI turning us into idiots? SAIMC
SAIMC
When calculators were first introduced, there were several concerns, particularly in the educational sector. Many educators and parents feared that students would become too reliant on calculators and ...
Read more...SAIMC Johannesburg branch SAIMC
SAIMC
The SAIMC Johannesburg branch recently hosted the June Technology Evening. The presentation covered HVAC systems through the lens of instrumentation, highlighting how sensor technologies form the backbone of effective monitoring and control, allowing for effective energy efficiency.
Read more...SAIMC Durban branch SAIMC
SAIMC
The SAIMC Durban Branch hosted its latest technology meeting on 4 June.The event drew a strong turnout, highlighting the keen interest in the topic ‘Understanding Level Measurement: Contact vs Non-Contact Methods’.
Read more...SAIMC at KITE 2025
SAIMC
The Society for Automation, Instrumentation, Mechatronics and Control Engineering (SAIMC) invites you to connect with us at the KwaZulu-Natal Industrial Technology Exhibition (KITE) from Tuesday 22 to Thursday 24 July 2025.
Read more...SAIMC User Advisory Council annual summit SAIMC Supplier Advisory Council
SAIMC
The SAIMC User Advisory Council is proud to present the 2025 Annual Summit, formerly known as the MESA Africa Summit. The theme is ‘Mining and manufacturing in South Africa: SMART operations in a disruptive world economy’.
Read more...SAIMC: Durban branch SAIMC
SAIMC
The Durban branch of the SAIMC was pleased to welcome Vusi Sithole, managing member of Hybrid Control Corporation in Richards Bay, who presented\on the very pertinent topic of ‘Infrastructure monitoring and control for water loss management’.
Read more...SAIMC: Sunshine, swings and smiles: Durban Golf Day hits a high note Technews Publishing (SA Instrumentation & Control)
SAIMC
We say it every year, and we’ll say it again: May in Durban is hard to beat; but 9 May, when the Durban Golf Day teed off at Kloof Country Club, was something else. With sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 20s, it was a fantastic day, full of fun and great energy.
Read more...SAIMC User Advisory Council KS4I event: Bridging the industry/education divide
SAIMC
Horst Weinert, head of Didactic at Festo Southern/Eastern Africa, will be sharing some of Festo’s Didactic experiences of working across industry and education. He will cover training for productivity and employability in the public and private sectors, discussing especially the potential for inter-company training centres.
While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.
printer friendly version